Machine for forming and reinforcing cutouts



June 3, 1947. L, MUTHER ET AL 2,421,639

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND REINFORC1ENG CUT-OUTS Filed Oct. 5, 1943 4 Sheets--Sheet l fanfare fiazwgfi/ uiiiar' jwdgmwea 4km; 19% M 1* June 3, 1947'. MUTHER ET AL I 2,421,639

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND REINFORCING CUT-OUTS Filed 0d. 5, 1945 4 Sheets-Shet 2 June 3, 1947. L MUTHER ET AL 2,421,639

MACHINE FOR FORMING AND REINFORCING, CUT- OUTS Filed oct. 5, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 3, 1947. MUfHER E AL 2,421,639

,MACHINE FOR FORMING AND REINFORCINGCUT-OUTS Filed Oct. 5, 1945, 4 SheetS -Sheet 4 e'e zz'ia 6,

Patented June 3, 1947 MACHINE FOR FORMING AND REIN- FORCIN G CUTOUTS Lorenz F. Muther, Newton Center, and Frederick S. Glines, East Lynn, Mass; said Glines assignor to said Muther Application October 5, 1943, Serial No. 505,010

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for forming cut-outs and applying reinforcements about the marginal portions of the cutouts.

Machines of the above type usually have two operating cycles, the first cycl being effective to punch or cut an opening in a piece of sheet material, and the second cycle being efiective to apply and clench a reinforcing element, such as an eyelet,cgrommet or the like, about another reinforcing element, such as a washer, held against the marginal portion of the opening. When such a machine is operating considerable difficulty has been encountered when applying a grommet or eyelet about a washer or the like reinforcing element having upstanding prongs, due to the fact that the magnitude of the punching 'strokebeing the same as that of the clenching stroke, is apt while punching to crush or otherwise injure the pronged washer or like reinforcing element disposed about the lower punch memher. If it be attempted to shorten the effective length of the punching stroke so as to avoid injury to the washer, then the magnitude of the clenching stroke, being the same, is not sufiicient properly to clench the grommet about the washer.

A further difiiculty encountered in such machines is the proper disposal of the punchings, it being necessary that provision be made for removing the severedmaterial so that it will not interfere with the reinforcing operation. Although numerous attempts have been made to provide means for removing the severed material, such as mechanically operated pick-offs, air blasts and the like, all such attempts, so far as we are aware have not proved generally satisfactory in that they are either more or less unreliable or embody a complicated and expensive mechanism.

The principal objects of the present invention are to overcome the aforementioned difiiculties and to provide a simple, efficient and reliable machine wherein the relative magnitude 'of the punching and clenching strokes is, in effect, automactially varied between the two operating cycles sothat both the punchings and clenching devices operate properly and without danger of injuring thereinforcing elements.

A further object isto provide a simple and efficient means whereby the relative position of the operating members may be quickly changed or adjusted so as properly to operate on materials of difierent weight or thickness.

Further objects will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention; l i

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, but with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the operation of the mechanism 'for removing the punchings;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the holder for the lower punch and die;

Fig. 6 is a section through the punch members and associated dies, illustrating thexmanner in which a reinforcing element is clenched'about the marginal portion of the cut-out formed by the punches; i 1

Fig. 7 is a side elevation (of. the side opposite that of Fig. 1) showing certain parts .of the clutch mechanism; and 1 Fig. 8 is a sectionon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The particular embodiment chosen for illustration is designed for punching out openings in sheet material, such as canvas, duck, etc., during the first operating cycle of the machine, and automatically applyin to and clenching a reinforcing element about the marginal portion'of the cut-out during the second operating cycle, it being understood that theinvention is not limited to the particular type of machine herein shown since the operating instrumentalities may be used in any machine or device capable of actuating the punch members to form an openingin sheet material to which a reinforcement may be subsequently applied. i

The machine here shown comprises an upstanding, hollow frame member I provided atits upper end with a forwardly extending head 2 and at its lower end or base portion with a laterally projecting work-supporting arm 3 vertically aligned with the head 2. A feed chute 4 and its associated hopper 5, both of which may be of conventional design and construction, are pivotally mounted on the head 2 so that the delivery end of the chute is free to swing toward and away from the outer end of arm 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Since the feed. chute and associated parts are well known in the art, a further description of the construction and operation is unnecessary.

The head 2 is formed with a depending forwardly projecting arm l0 provided with an opening which slidably receives and guides a movable holder or support I l for an operating instrumentality. Theholder H is operated bya mechanism, hereinafter described, which is efiective to 6) a female punch l2 shouldered at its upper end so as to seat against the lower end of the holder H (Fig. 2), and having its lower endformed with a cutting edge !3 and a clenching surface M which provides one of a pair of cooperating clenching dies. A spindle I5'is slidably mounted within the bore of the punch' l 2 with its upper end projecting through an opening therein and its lower end normally extending downwardly below the cutting edge l3, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby to provide a pilot for holding a grommet R correctly positioned at the commencement of the second operating cycle, as more fully disclosed in Patent No. 2,381,818, granted August 7, 1945.

The outer end of the lower arm 3 is provided with a fixed support or holder 29 formedwith a transverse slot or opening-2i and a'vertically extending opening ZZ'WhiCh receives an operating instrumentality, comprising a cylindrical -male punch 24 having an operating surface or cutting edge 25 which cooperates with that of the female punch 12 to cut a circular opening in the sheet material operated upon. An annular clenching die 26 integral with and spaced" below the cutting edge 25. of the punch 24: is recessed so as to receive a washer or the like reinforcing element 1 and to cooperate with the clenching surface Id of the punch I2 so as to roll the end of the grommet R over the body of the washer r, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The lower end of the punch 24 has a sliding fit within the opening 22 so that it may be reciprocated, in the manner hereinafter explained,from a retracted position toan advanced position shown by the full and broken lines, respectively, of Fig. 5.

The lower end of the punch 24 is supported on a pair ofsuperposed slides i-m'and 3i which extend through thetransverse' opening 2!, being maintained properly centered by guide'plates or walls 32 which permit the slides 36, 3| to be independently slid back and forth, as-indicated by the full and broken lines of Fig. 5. The upper surface of the top slide 39 is stepped to provide a flat depressed surface 64 which adjoins a bevel 35 terminating in a flat surface 36, the bevel 35 constituting a cam element engageable with the lower end of the punch 24, as shown in Fig. 5. Theunder surface of the slide 33 and the upper surface of the slide 3! are planar so as to'permit free sliding movement, but the under surface of slide 3| is likewise stepped to provide a flat depressed surface 38 which joins a bevel 39 terminating in a fiat surface All, the bevel 39 likewise constituting a cam element engageable with the inner end of a set screw 42 carried by the support 39; The screw 42 may be adjusted so as to vary' the operating level of the slides, and a lock nut 45 is provided by means of which the set screw maybe locked in adjusted position.

The ends of the lower slide 3 are formed with depending flanges A6 and 41 whichnot only provide stops, but also a readily accessible means by which the slide may be manually moved back and forth. One end of the upper slide 30 has a pin and slot connection 5|] (Fig. 3) with one arm 5! of a bell crank lever 52 pivoted at 53- to a bracket 54 carried by the arm 3. The lever 52 is automatically operated through appropriate connections, hereinafter described, associated with the aforementioned operating mechanism so as to actuate the slide from retracted to advance position between the first and second operating cycles, and from advance to retracted position after completion of the second operating cycle.

' When the slide 39 is moved from its normal position (shown by the full lines of Fig. 5), wherein the punch 24 is supported in retracted position on the surface 34 to advanced position, i. e., toward the left (Fig. 5), the bevel or cam element 35 urges the punch upwardly to advanced position, indicated by the dot-and-dash lines of Fig. 5, thereby producing, in effect, a variation in the length or magnitude of the operating stroke of the punch 52 relative to the punch 2Q, it being noted that although the punch 52 travels the same distance during each operating cycle, the clenching surface it does not approach that of the'die 26 as closely during the first operating cycle as it does during the second operating cycle. The result is therefore the same, in effect, as if the lower punch and die were held stationary and the operating stroke or travel of the holder i l were shortened during the second operating cycle.

The particular adjustment for the set screw and lower slide is governed by the thickness of the weight of the sheet material being operated on, and for a given thickness of sheet'material it is usually necessary to make but one adjustment of the set screw to hold the slides at their optimum level. The lower slide 3i may be manually operated to raise or lower the operating level, as for example, when a double thickness of the material such as a fold or hem'is operated on. The upper slide at, however, is automatically operated to hold the male punch and associated die retracted during the punching operation which takes place during the first cycle, thus avoiding an over-travel of the female. punch member and consequent crushing of the washer 1' or injury to the prongs in case the washer is of the crown or serrated type, but during the clenching oper ation which takes place durin the second cycle, the male punch and associated die are advanced so that the grommet B may be properly clenched about the washer r. After the completion of the clenching operation the slide 3% is again automatically operated to move the male punch and associated die back to retracted position.

Before the commencement of the clenching operation, provision is made for the removal of the punching, and to this end a brush member 60 is swivelly mounted on a clip 6| carried by the delivery end of chute d. The brush is provided with a shank 62 about which a coil spring 64 is cir cumposed so as normally to hold the operative end of the brush in a retracted position, i. e., at approximately the level of and laterally offset rela tive to the cutting end of the male punch 24. The upper end of the shank 62 carries an arcuateextension 65 which projects inwardly so as to engage the adjacent face of the arm I6 when the feed chute swings inwardly to feeding position. The construction and arrangement of parts are such that the brush is normally held in an inoperative or retracted position (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), but when the feed chute swings inwardly, the engagement of extension 65 with the arm I causes the shank 62 to rotate against the action of the spring 64 and thus effects a quick sweep of the brush across the top of the male punch and the tively mounted on shafts I4 and I5 journaled in' suitable openings in the frame I. The clutch 'II' is'operated by a pull chain I6 (Fig. '7) which may beiconnected to a treadle or other convenient control member (not shown). The clutch is effective to rotate the shaft I4 through two complete revolutions, and an eccentric 80 mounted on shaft I4 and its associated connecting rod 8| operate toggle links 85 which are appropriately connected with the holder I I, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, for each double revolution of the shaft I4, the eccentric 89 reciprocates the holder II twice, and the shaft I5 is rotated through one complete revolution. Since this type of mechanism is well known in the art, a further description of the construction and operation of parts is unnecessary.

The outer end of the shaft is connected through bevel gears 88, 89 to a horizontally disposed shaft 90 (Fig. 1) which is suitably journaled in bearings 9|, 92 integral with the frame and head, respectively. The gears 88, 89 have 1:1 ratios, and hence for each two revolutions of the shaft I4, the shaft 90 is rotated once. The outer end of. the shaft 90 carries a cam 94 which operates the feed chute 4 in the manner above described; and adjacent to its opposite end the shaft 90 carries a cam 95 engageable with a roller or follower 96 mounted adjacent to the upper end of a rocker arm 98. The arm 98 is pivotally mounted at 99 on the frame I and its lower end is bent outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, and terminates in an L-shaped portion having a pin and slot connection I00 (Figs. 2 and 3) with the inner end of lever 52. The rocker arm 98 is normally held in retracted position by a tension spring I02 which is secured to the upper end of the arm 98 and to the frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1. The design of the parts is such that during the first operating cycle the cam 94 holds the chute 4 in a retracted or inoperative position and the cam 95 remains inactive in that it permits the lever 98 to remain in retracted position under the influence of spring I92; but during the second operating cycle, the cam 94 permits the chute 4 to swing inwardly to feeding position, and at or about'the same time cam 95 operates lever 98 which in turn operates slide 30 to cause the lower punch 24 to move from retracted to advanced position, as above described, and as the chute 4 swings inwardly, the brush 60 is operated to sweep across the top of the male die 24. As the shaft 99 and cams 94, 95 continue to rotate, the feed chute 4 is retracted and the lever 98 is also retracted by the spring I02, thus restoring all parts to normal position at or by the time the second operating cycle has been completed, at which time the clutch automatically disengages the shaft I4 from the flywheel Ill and locks the parts in retracted position.

Although the flywheel I0 may be driven directly at the desired speed from any suitable source, in this embodiment it is belt-connected to a pulley H9 fast to one end of a shaft III which extends through the base of the frame I. The

opposite end of the shaft III carries a pulley H2 which is belt-driven by a motor (not shown) mounted on a bracket I I 5 bolted tothe top of the frame I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. By proper selection of-pulley sizes, the desired speed reductionmay be obtained.

In using this machine a reinforcing element,

su'chasa plain washer r (Fig. 6) or a serrated washer 1" '(Fig. 5),is first manually placed on the lower die 26, as shown in Fig. 5, and the material S (Fig. 6) to be operated on is then held in position on-the top 25 of the male punch. The chain I6 is then depressed so asto operate clutch l Lwhereupon the first operating cycle takes place during which the female punch I2 and associated parts out an'opening in the material S. As the punch I2 recedes, the pilot I5 temporarily holds the punching in place on the top of themale punch 24, but as the punch I2 approaches the limit of its upward movement the pilot I5 is carried upwardly to the position shown inFigl 2; thereby leavingthe punching on the top of the punch 24; and at or about the time -of the completion of the'first operating cycle, the cams 94 and operate not only to commence swinging the chute 4-inwardlyto feeding position, butalso to movethe male punch 24-and die 26 "from re tracted to advanced position. As the female punch I 2 and associated parts descend forthe seconcl operating cycle. the cams continue torotate and the following succession: a a i l a i (a) The brush '60 makes a quick sweep across the top of the male punch 24, clearing ofi the punching thereon; I i I I (b) The pilot I5 engagesa grommet R- whichis held in proper position by the chute 4 which by this time has'reached thelimitof its inward Or -feeding movement, i I l (0) The chute 4 recedes as the pilot 15 tinues its descent, thus permitting the pilot to pick-off the grommet R; I I i (d). As further downward movement of the operations take place in quick punch I2, die I4 and pilot I5 continues, the grommet R is carried downwardly and clenched about the washer 7; as shown in Fig. 6;

(e) Asthepunch lz starts to recede'andth chute 4 completes its recession, the extension 65 disengages the arm Ill and the brush is retracted under th influence of spring 64; and

understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We-claim:

1. In a machine of the type having a fixed support, a movable support operative to move toward and away from said fixed support and operating mechanism for moving said movable support toward and away from said fixed support, operating instrumentalities comprising male and female punches carried by the fixed and movable supports and operative to form a cutout in a piece of sheet material during the first operating cycle, cooperating dies associated with said punches and operative during the second operating cycle to-clench a reinforcing element about the marginalportions-of the cutout,

a slide carried by said fixed support and formed with a cam-lik element engaging the lower end of the punch and associated die carried by said fixed support so as to support and selectively positionsaid punch and'associated die, and connections betweensaid operating mechanism and slide effective to move the last-mentioned punch and associated die from a retracted position to anadvanced position between the completion of th first and second operating cycles and then back to retractedposition after the completion of the second operating cycle. 1

, 2. In a machine of the type having a fixed support, a movable support operative to move towardand away from said fixed support, and operating mechanism for moving said movable support toward and away from said fixed support, operating instrumentalities comprising male and female punches carried by the fixed and movable supports and operative to form a; cutout in a piece of sheet material during the first operating cycle, cooperating dies associated with said punches and operative during the second operating cycle to clench a reinforcing element about the-marginal portions of the cutout, the punch and associated die carried by said fixed support beingslidably mounted therein so as to move toward and away from the punch carried by said movable support, and means carried by said fixed support for selectively varying the position of the punch and associated die carried thereby, said means comprising cam-like members movable relative to each other and to said support, and-connections between one of said cam-like members and said operating mechanism effective to operate the cam-like member so as to move the-last-mentioned punch and associated die from a retracted position to an advanced position between th'e completion of the first and second operating cycles and then back to retracted position after completion of the second operating cycle, the other of said cam-like members being manually movable independently and operative to effect-a further variation in the position of said last-mentioned punch and associated die.

3. In a machine of the type having a fixed support, a movable support operative to move,

toward and away from said fixed supporting and operating mechanism formoving said movable support toward and away from said fixed support, operating instrumentalities comprising male and female punches carried by the fixed and movable supports and operative to form a cutout in a piece of sheet material during the first operating cycle, cooperating dies associated with said punches and operative during the second operating cycleto clench a reinforcing element about the marginal portions of the cut-out, means associated with said fixed support for selectively varying the position of-the punch and associated die carried-thereby, said means comprising a pair of superposed cam-like members movable relative to each other and to said support, the inner cam-like members being engageable with the punch and associated die carried by said support and the outer cam-like memberbeing engageable with the inner cam-like member, and connections between one of said camelike members and said operating mechanism effective to operate the cam-likemember so as to move the lastmentioned punch andassociated die from. a retracted position to an advanced position between the completion of the first and second operating cycles and then back to retracted position after completion of the second operating cycle, the other of said cam-like members beingmanually movable independently and operative to effect a further variation in the position of said lastmentioned punch and associated die.

4. In a machine of the type having a fixed support, a movable support operativev to .move toward and away from said fixed support and operating mechanism for moving saidmovable support toward and away from said fixed support, operatinginstrumentalities comprising male.

and female punches carried by the fixed and movable supports and operative to form a cutout in a piece of sheetmaterial during .the'first operating, cycle, cooperating dies associated with said punches and operative during the second operating cycle to clench a reinforcing element about the marginal portionsof the cutout, a slide carried by said fixed support and formed with a cam-like element engageable with the lower end of the punch and associated die carried by said fixed support so as to support and selectively position said punch and associated die in either a retracted position or an advanced position, and means for moving said slide from one position to another so as to effect the aforesaid Variation in the position of the punch and associated die.

LORENZ F. MUTI-IER.

FREDERICK S. GLINES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,114,983 Levin, Apr. 19, 1938 2,182,021 Gookin Dec. 5, 1939 1,600,517 Sibley Sept. 21,. 1926 1,319,413 Osgood Oct.3l, 1919 1,749,856 Taylor -1 Mar. 11, 19.30 2,253,051 Ross Aug. 19, 1941 1,373,462 Stuart Apr. 5, 1921 2,360,337 Gookin Oct. 17, 1944 2,381,818 Glines Aug. 7, 1945 

